roots project on one document roots

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Family Crest Assignment Joey Smolack The things I drew on my family crest all connect to things my family did. The first thing I put on it was a pile of tar. I made the tar black because this is the color of tar. The reason this connects to my family is my last name means tar maker and my family did this as a job a long time ago. The second thing I drew on my family crest were army planes and tanks with a man refusing to use them. I drew the tanks green and the planes silver because this is how they look in the army. This is to represent Jacob when he left Russia so he wouldn’t have to fight in the Russian war. The third thing I drew on my crest was a minyan of ten men. I drew this to honor my relative who would always go to

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Page 1: Roots project on one document roots

Family Crest AssignmentJoey Smolack

The things I drew on my family crest all connect to things my family did. The first thing I put on it was a pile of tar. I made the tar black because this is the color of tar. The reason this connects to my family is my last name means tar maker and my family did this as a job a long time ago.

The second thing I drew on my family crest were army planes and tanks with a man refusing to use them. I drew the tanks green and the planes silver because this is how they look in the army. This is to represent Jacob when he left Russia so he wouldn’t have to fight in the Russian war.

The third thing I drew on my crest was a minyan of ten men. I drew this to honor my relative who would always go to minyan to make sure they can daven in the mornings. I drew the Jewish men in black suits and some with grey beards. I did this because they were an orthodox group of Jews and this is how they dressed back then and still do today.

The final thing I drew on my crest was a Canadian flag. I drew it with the colors red and white, as these are the colors of the Canadian flag. The reason this connects to my family is because Jacob had the choice between

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Europe and Canada and he picked Canada. Due to this im a 4th generation Canadian and im proud to be one.

Grandmother InterviewBy: Joseph Smolack

My great grandmother is Hennia Rosenfeld, and she was born on September 24th 1947. She was born in Munich, Germany. She went to school and graduated high school in 1966, although her childhood was not easy. Everyday after school she and her three sisters had to work at the family clothing store to support the family. She lived in a very hard time. She was the oldest of three sisters. Then she got married to Nachman Rosenfeld in 1967 and they had two children one of them being my mom. Her parents were Holocaust survivors.

She likes musicale such as Fiddler On The Roof and Lion King, she also likes books about detective stories. As a child she loved birthday parties.

Currently she is an office manager and a landlord and she lives in Five Towns, New York.

She is an amazing grandmother, I’m so happy to visit and I’m extremely lucky to have her as a grandmother. She always is nice to me and cares for me and spoils me with gifts. The gift she gives the most is clothing. She did this because when she was little she gift teased for having only two outfits. Now she is very successful and lives in

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New York. She is also an amazing bargainer., one time we were in Israel and she was buying keepas, she ended up getting two of them for free and the rest half priced!!

Great Grandparent Interview By: Joey Smolack

My grandmother Hennia’s father was named Zvi Finkelstien; he was born on January 1st 1916. He was born in Piczow, Poland he lived there until 1939 when WWII started. He occupation was a salesman. He was a holocaust survivor.

He has many stories here is one:

In the concentration camp there was one master Nazi in charge of all the Jews. Zvi and his master went to get tools in the morning for the day’s work. The Nazi saw a man standing holding his shovel but not working. The Nazi said he was going to kill that man. Zvi said don’t bother, why have a dead man on your conscience? The mater got really angry and said he was going to kill Zvi and the man who was not working. Zvi managed to calm the master down but he was till going to report him to the over commander. This meant death. Then Zvi convinced the commander to change his mind. They both lived to tell the story but have died of old age long after the Holocaust.

Great Grandparent InterviewBy: Joey Smolack

My great grandmother Sarah Rosenfeld was born on October 15th, 1915. She was born in Ozav, Poland and eventually moved to Tel-Aviv Israel.

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She was a teacher in Poland. She raised her children in Israel. She got married in 1935.

Great Grandparent InterviewBy: Joey Smolack

My great grandmother Lola was born in the year 1923 on July 15th. She was born in Lodz Poland but soon left to Munich in Western Germany. She was a saleslady and owner of a clothing store. She speaks Polish and Yiddish.

She was a holocaust survivor. Here is one of her amazing stories:

It was during a death march, which was 30km long. She was a part of the march and in the middle she was getting very tired. Eventually she went to sit down and die, she went and was about to sit and another marcher came and picked her up and carried her to the end. I would not be alive if it wasn’t for her.She is still alive today in her early 90’s.

Great Grandparent InterviewBy: Joey Smolack

My great grandfather Pinchas Rosenfeld was born in 1913 on erev Shavuot. He was born in Ozarov, Poland and eventually moved to Tel-Aviv in Israel. His profession was a carpenter and builder; he also managed his own stores. He fought in the War of Independence.

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My last name is Smolack. The original spelling of this name was Smollak. It is an eastern European name. The name means tar maker in Russian.

I was named after my great grandfather Joseph who passed away. As far as we know none of us were in the tar making business. The last name was never changed and was always with my family. The Smolack name is also a Polish name and it means wood gatherer in Polish. It is not a specifically Jewish name. When my dad was growing up he knew a Smolack on the same street as him that was not Jewish.

The last name was never changed and was always with my family.

The first Smolack family member came to Canada in 1902 from Belarus, Russia. His name was Jacob Smolack; my father was named after him. Jacob’s job in Europe and Canada was a peddler meaning he would sell things from door to door. The reason Jacob left Russia was because he didn’t want to serve in the Russian-Japanese war. He left in 1904 and made it to London England with sponsorship of the JCA. He helped the synagogue there always have a minyan as they were sometimes short of one. He came to Canada through England. He was given a choice to go to Canada or Australia and he chose Canada, and he ended up in Guelph, Ontario. In Guelph, my great grandfather was born which is who I was named after. This history makes me a fourth generation Canadian.

Joseph was one of five kids. He was a plumber though he wanted to be a writer but there was not enough income for that job. When he was in his early twenties; he moved to Toronto from Guelph. His younger brother died in a car crash; when he was driving on a windy road his car slide off a cliff in California.

Roots InterviewDad

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My dad was born in Brandon, Manitoba in the year 1976. He was an only child growing up and he was adopted. My dad grew up in West Kildonan in the north end of Winnipeg. My dad went to all the years of school. He went to Torah Academy for elementary school, and Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate for high school. He attended Yeshiva University and Fordham University for an MBA. He is now an accountant. He got married in the year 1998 when he was twenty two years old. He got married in New York.

My dad is involved in the Jewish community. He is on the board of the Jewish Federation. He is also on the board of the Herzilia synagogue.

My dad had many friends growing up and he knows many of them today.

My dad’s first job was a telemarketer. He quit after a week because everybody smoked and he couldn’t take it. Then he was a pizza deliveryman. Then he went to Rosh Pina synagogue and became a torah reader and made great money.

My dad’s best memory was going to Vegas by himself at the age of fourteen. He had a nice winter vacation. When my dad was younger he liked Steven King books and later he liked to read books on history. His favorite was European history.

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Finding My Roots

Gray Academy of Jewish Education

Grade 7 2015Finding My Roots

Gray Academy of Jewish Education

Grade 7 2015Joey Smolack

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JoeyI’m Joseph Smolack, and I was born on January 20th 2002. I moved from New York to Canada when I was 8 years old. I have duel citizenship. My family is orthodox and we are a Jewish family. We observe the shabbos and attend shul. I have a little sister named Lily and a mom and a dad. I like tennis, basket ball and swimming. I also like hanging out with friends.

I go to a Jewish school and I am very grateful to be receiving a good Jewish education.

I remember the Boston Marathon and it happened in the year 2013!

Time Line

First immigrant to come to Canada in my family: 1902

Great grandmother Sarah born: 1915

Great grandfather Pinchas born: 1913

Great Grandmother Lola born: 1923

Grandfather Nachman Born: 1943

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Grandmother Hennia born: 1948

Dad Born: 1976

Mom born: 1975

Me born: 2002

My bar mitzvah: 2015

Boston Marathon: 2013

Holocaust: 1939-1945

2001: Nine eleven

1967: six day war

1948: Israel becomes a state

Languages

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English: My name is Joey

Yiddish: מיין נָאמען איז יוסף

Polish: Nazywam się Józef

Russian: Меня зовут Йосеф

Hebrew: שמי יוסף

German: Mein Name ist Yosef

Tree:

Hennia

Iris

Joseph

Lily

Kovi

Dror

Sarah

Pinchas

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Ilana

Nachman

Lola

Zvi

Grandfather InterviewNachman Rosenfeld

Nachamn was born in Tel-Aviv Israel, in the year 1943. He lived during

WWII but he was in Israel, which was a safe place so he had a very happy

and peaceful childhood. For elementary school he went BILU a public

religious day school. For high school he went to a yeshiva high school

called NOAM.

After high school he attended college at the Hebrew University.

Afterwards he went to medical school. The medical school at the Hebrew

University was Hadassah. Today he is a plastic surgeon. In the year 1968

he got married, he was twenty-five years old. His hobbies are soccer

swimming and surgery. His most prized accomplishment was creating a

beautiful family. His favorite books are written by Karl May. They discuss

the tales of western immigrants trying to get in the countries. These tales

were fictional. The most valuable lesson he learnt from his parents is to

be a kind person and devotion to family. He has a Smicha and the skills to

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be a rabbi. His role model is the Rambam. A very famous rabbi who can

find the deeper meaning in any subject or topic.

He is also a very smart man and a great grandfather. I can always call him

when I am having trouble with homework or just to talk. I learn a lot from

him.

Mom

My mother Iris Rosenfeld was born in the year 1976. She was

born in New York and lived in a neighborhood called the five

towns. She grew up in an orthodox home and is still orthodox

today. She likes to play tennis and we play together and it is

always very fun playing with her. She likes books that are

historical fiction. She likes to play piano. She was a very

committed student and she is doctor today. She is a great mom

and she is always there to help me when in need it!

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